The Truth About Forever
by CarlitosCandy
Summary: On a flight home from Las Vegas, Steven reflects upon the woman he still loves, and the engagement ring still resting in his pocket. Angst, romance 2 part fic. Steven Hyde x Jackie.


_This is something I started a little while ago, then stopped writing when I realized I had no idea where I wanted to go with it. But just recently I've been surrounded by tons of Jyde love and worked up the insparation to finish part one. Part two isn't finished yet, so that you shall have to wait for._

_But enjoy the fic! Read and review, because all writers crave them._

_xo Candy._

The Truth About Forever

Author: Candy

Rating: PG-13

Characters: Jackie / Steven Hyde.

Disclaimer: I dont own anything, lyrics by Jacks Mannequin.

Summary: On a flight home from Las Vegas, Steven reflects upon the woman he still loves,

and the engagement ring still resting in his pocket. Angst, romance 2 part fic. Steven Hyde x Jackie.

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_Now every word of every song_

_I ever heard that made me want to stay_

_Is what's playing through the in-flight radio.._

_And I am finally waking up._

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**Part 1.**

Hyde allowed a small, whisper of a sigh to slip past his lips, his forehead pressed against the dirty glass of the small airplane window. It caused a small patch of steam to fog the glass, and he cursed it silently for blocking his view of the world beneath. But as it quickly dissapeared, the world passing him by down below was revealed in small bits and pieces. It was already late, and the sky was fading into a hazy purple, with few clouds and no signs of the yellow moon from what he could see. They would be landing soon enough, and he could see the rolling hills of the Wisconsin plains turn into the small towns he'd come to know over the past years. He smiled, memories of the watertower and causing trouble on any passing midnight flooding his mind.

Once a woman began speaking over the system about the plane's upcoming landing, Hyde sat up and began to throw his belongings into the only bag he brought with, then tossed it into the empty seat beside him, thankful nobody had claimed that seat and left him feeling cornered. There was always something about the presense of silent strangers in the midst of loneliness that he absolutely resented. A new song flowed through the speakers above him, and as he slipped back on his shades - although he'd been told not to numerous times - kicked his feet up on the seat before him.

And just as it'd done so many times before, his mind wandered helplessly into thoughts of the silent, dark-haired woman that'd captured his heart already three years ago. Granted, he felt trapped in his sudden constant state of sorrow and regret, and wanted nothing more than to shrink back between his walls of cold concrete and drugs that would take him away from all the unfamiliar emotions he'd wished would just go away. He didn't want to think about Jackie, he didn't want to wallow in his regrets, for those, too, were unfamiliar and sickening. But he realized he could no longer help it.

She was the last person on this earth he'd ever want to hurt. Although he almost never admitted it, even to Jackie herself, he realized long ago there was no denying the deep and piercing feelings he had for her. Such a special place in his sheltered heart was rare, for he held no close friendships with his real family..and instead finding all that was lost when his parents dissapeared in the Foreman's home. And although he grew to care for them all a great deal, no one had slipped their way into his each and every nerve such as she'd done.

He remembered so clearly their "first date", each and every detail pinned to his mind like a cancer that failed to leave him. The song that was playing, the sent of her hair and the image of her wearing his jacket.. and the kiss that had sent each and every nerve standing on end. He remembered them all and kept them in the back of his mind always. But thats as close as she'd been to him for the next year and a half.. and he'd always figured that pure boredom and an equal sense of remberance brought them together for the final time.

And here he was, three years later, unable to shake her from any sense of him. He could still feel her resting on his lap as she'd always done, the sent of her hair just grazing his cheeks and the taste of her kisses during late nights resting on the couch. Shaking his head, he folded his arms defensively across his chest, feeling stupid with all the unfamiliar, mushy feelings threatening him. She would never take him back after this.. never. It was a waste of time to dwell upon thoughts of a woman he knew had already left him behind.

Taking the headphones from the compartment next to him, he slipped them on to force the thoughts to leave him, and listened to the song that played softly in his ear. It wasn't necessairly catchy, or good, or anything he'd ever think about listening to.. but he listened anyway, the quickly passing words beginning to stick in his mind.

It was some song about love, he figured.. but the words danced around the subject effortlessly. It spoke of a beautiful girl that was miles away, and how the voice singing in his ears missed her face, although it haunted him in his sleep. He was in love with the girl, and sang of swimming across oceans and flying through storms just to get the chance to tell her he loved her. He listened intently to the song until the final chord faded, and the music stopped completely due to the fastly approaching landing.

Huffing to himself, he tossed the headphones to the ground, contemplating how completely stupid and cheesy the song had been.. Jackie would've loved it.

Wait, what? Damnit.. he cursed himself for allowing that thought into his mind. But as quickly as it had slipped in, it burrowed itself into his mind and refused to leave until coaxed from its prison. Hyde floated away into thoughts of seeing her again, unable and unwilling to keep them at bay anymore, and wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive him. Of course she'd have to forgive him sometime, right? ..After all, they had all been best friends since they were kids. Nothing had been able to keep them angry at eachother forever.

Then again, this was on a deeper, romantic basis... he had told her he loved her then went off and married a stripper he barley remembered in the morning. Granted, it was because she fell back into Kelso's arms..again.. that caused him to vanish to Las Vegas in the first place. But since then he'd realized she hadn't done a thing with his best friend, and running way had been the biggest impulse mistake of his life. Until Sam, that is.

Remembering the words of the song he'd grown to hate, he'd come to realize that no matter how many thoughts of Jackie he'd be able to dimish, he couldn't rid the fact that he still loved her. And a part of him probably always would... but he could easily mask that if he had to.. right? ..The only problem was, he didn't want to ignore or get rid of the rare and deep feelings that he'd coax to leave him over time. He didn't want to leave the only woman he ever loved behind.

Mumbling a quiet curse to himself at each and every stupid thought, he braced for the landing ahead, wanting nothing more than to shake the burning heart and pain inside him. He winced, coughing harshly into his hand as he clutched his throat, then winced as he curled into a crumpled heap in his chair. This heartbreak was killing him.

His yellowed and half-lidded eyes crawled over to the small, smudged window beside him, a wash of painted concrete meeting him as the woman's strange voice once again rang through the speakers. They had finally landed, and the massive flood of emotions and problems this situation had caused washed over him with a great and powerful wrath. Both in Las Vegas and in the sky he was able to get away with forgetting and running away from the main source of his heartbreak. But now she was just beyond the large glass doors of the airport, and he was unable to turn away.. unable to numb himself just as he'd done, unable to face the broken heart of the woman he loved.


End file.
